Decatur Macpherson

It turns out that the tastiest desserts aren’t necessarily the prettiest, but you knew that already, didn’t you? If you’re going to go ahead and judge a cake by its outward appearance — maybe by its smooth frosting, or piped flowers, or delicate chocolate drizzle — then this probably isn’t the cake for you. However, if you’re going to judge a cake by it’s actual merits — by its irresistible flavor, by the ease of its preparation, by the nostalgic comfort it provides — well then, you’ve just found the cake of your dreams.

This cake is really more of a dump cake, and involves no baking, or frosting, or beating. What we’re saying is, it couldn’t be easier to throw together. It involves cubing some store-bought angel food cake, and mixing up some strawberry jello, whipped topping, and thawed frozen strawberries. (The kind that come packed in juice in a tub; you want all that goodness in there!) Then it’s just a matter of layering it all together and letting it chill. It’s a cake that anyone can handle, and yet the results are absolutely scrumptious.

While it’s admittedly a little homely, it’s a cake that everyone just loves. It’s got that retro kind of comfort going on, that nostalgia that all jello-ed desserts seem to embody. The chewy bite of angel food swaddled in a sweet and creamy strawberry concoction is just too much to resist. So don’t even try. Just give in to this goodness! You’ll be glad you did.